Log-stake.



B. T. HARROP.

LOG STAKE.

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/WTOHHEYS AMA nunoomu'n @PICTO BENJAMIN THOMAS HARROP, 0F WIN NFIELD,LOUISIANA.

LOG-STAKE.

To ull -w/iom 'it may concern Ba it known that I, BENJAMIN T. HAR- iior,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winniield, in theparish of WVinn and State of Louisiana, have invented anew and usefulImprovement in Log-Stakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement n i log stakes, and has for its object toprovide a stake of the character specified, for holding logs in piled orsuperposed condition on a car or other support, so arranged that thestake will fall by gravity below the surface of the bunk commonly usedon railroad cars for transporting logs, wherein the stake is so arrangedthat it will operate from the side opposite that from which the car isbeing unloaded, and wherein the mechanism is inclosed Within the steelwalls of the bunk, tlieroby reventin in'ury from the logs during loa ingor un oa ing.

n the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a bunk having the improvedstake, and showing the stake in vertical position, Fig. 2 is a to planview of the mechanism connected with the movable stake detached from thebunk, and Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the hunk.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the stake 1 is provided atits lower end with a laterally extending lug 2, having an opening forreceiving a. pivot in 3, to ivotally connect the stake to the link 4.Ilie lug 2 is notched or recessed as indicated at 5, directly lielow thepivot pin 8 when the stake is iin upright position, the notch or recessformin r a stop for engagement hy one end of a loc tin lever, to bedescribed.

The locking fever is rovided with a central hearing 7, journale( upon apivot pin 8, connected with the bunk, and the said lever has a shortarni t), extending toward the stake, and a long` arm 10 extending in theolpposite direction. The free end of the s iort iirin is adapted toengage the stop 5 on the stake to lock the stake in u right position,and the opposite end 10 o the lever lies, whenA the lever is in lockingposition directly above an an ular lug 11, on the trip lever 12. Thesai( lever is ivoted to the hunk, hy means of a pivot pm 13, the saidpin assing throu h an opening in the lever at tio junction o the saidlever with the lu One end of a link or rod 14 is pivotallgy connected tothe end of the lever remote from the lug 11, hy means of a pivotSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 29, 1913.

Patented Nov. 1. 8, ,i 913.

Serial No. 787,329.

pin 15, and the opposite end of the link or rod is provided with ahandle 16, depending from the link at approximately a right anOle.

djaeent to the handle a portion of the link or rod is offset laterallyto form a transverse groove 1T, for engagement by a stop pin 18,extending laterally from the bunk to hold the link in ino erativeposition. The link or rod 14 extends transverselv ot' the car, to theopposite side thereof from the stake to the operator.

When it is desired to release the stake, the operator releases the freeend of the link 14 from the sto pin 18 and draws the link toward theside of the car upon which he stands. As the lever l2 swings, the lug 11engages the free end of the arm 10 of the lever 9-10, elevating the saidend, and pressing the free end of the arm 0 downwardly. As soon as thefree end of the arm 9 of the lever 9-10 is disengaged from the stop 5 ofthe stake, the weight of the stake will cause. the same to swinedownwardly into inoperative position. rThe stake will swing by ravity,since the pivot pin thereof is offset aterally from the long axis of thestake.

The stake may be locked in elevated position, merely by raising the sameinto such position. rlhe arm 10 of the lever 9-10 is of greater lengthand heavier than the arm 9, so that the lever normally tends to take aloi-.king position.

lt will he noticed that the lower surface of the lug 9. of the stake iscani shaped as shown at 19, and when the levei is being returned toupright position, the said caiii surface 1S) will engage the upper sideedge of the locking lever 9-10, and will swing the arm 10 of the saidlever upwardly, until the free end of the arin f) passes over the stop5, when the lever will immediately diop into locking position. i

The bunk 4 is secured to the car for supporting the log, and thelockingr and operating mechanism for the stake is lielow the upper edgeof the hunk and as a consequence lielow the level of the logs, so thatthe said logs cannot interfere with the operation of the said lockingand releasiiur mechanism. At the opposite side of the iunk, a fixedstake Q0 is provided, for sup iorting the loes at the said opposite sideoi the car. T ie. bunks are arranged transversely of the cars, and itwill be evident'. that as many stakes may lie provided as may hedesired. A stop 5' is provided for limiting the swinging movement of thelever l2 away from the movable stake, the said sto being in the forni ofa pin connected wit the bunk.

The logs are piled on the bunks in the forni of a pyramid, the outermostlogs of the bottoni layer engaging the stakes l and 20. lilaeh layer oflogs is of lesser width than tiie next layer, and the load may be heldon the car by chains, if desired.

It will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 3, that the bunk isprovided with dependinfr bracket arms 21, which engage the sides o? thecar 23 bunk thereto. Each arm is provided with an inwardly extending lug22 at its lower end for engaging beneath the adjacent side of the car.'lhe ends of the bunk as shown in Fig. 3, extend beyond the sides of thecar, so that when the stake 1 is released,'the logs will roll oil' theends of the bunk instead of oii' the sides of the car. The stakes 1 and20 are of sutlicient height only to engage the outermost logs of thelowermost ayer of logs, and the stake 1 will swing downwardly through aslot or passa e 24 in the bunk, as shown in Fig. 3, and will thus be outof the way, and in no danger from the rolling logs.

1 claim l. In combination with the bunk having at one end thereof afixed stake, of a movable stake at the opposite end, said stake having alateral inwardly extending lug, a pivotal connection between the lu atthe end remote from the stake and t ie bunk for permitting the saidstake to swing downward by gravity, said lug being notched below thepivotal connection to form a stop approximately perpendicular to thepivotal connection, a locking lever comprising a long arm and a shortarm pivoted adjacent to the stop, the short arm extending toward thestop and being adapted to engage the same to hold the lever in uprightosition, said lever having a cam surface or engagement by the said shortarm of the lever to press the said short end downwardly when the stakeis swung to upright position, a trip lever pivoted at the outer end ofthe long arm of the loekiufr lever and having a lu extending laterallybelow the free end of t e said long arui, and an operating lever pivotedat one end to the said releasing lever and extendin toward the oppositeend of the bunk, said link having a handle and having a transversegroove on its under face ad'acent to thehandle, and a stop on the bunkfor en gagement by the groove.

2. 'In combination with the bunk having at one end thereof a fixedstake, of a movable stake at the opposite end, said stake havin alateral inwardly extending lug, a pivota connection between the lug atthe end remote from the stake and the bunk for permitting the said staketo swing down- (Fig. 3) to secure the.

ward by gravity, said lug being notched below the pivotal connection .toform a stop approximately perpendicular to the pivotal connection, alocking lever comprising a lon arm and asliort arm pivoted adjacent to,t ie stop, the short arm extending toward the stop and being adapted toengage the saine to hold the :lever in upright position, said leverhaving a cam surface for engageinent b the said short arm of the leverto press tie said short end downwardly when the stake is swung toupright position, a trip lever pivot-ed at the outer end of the long armof the locking lever and havin@r a lug extendinglaterally below theIfree en of the said long arm, and means at the opposite end of the bunkfor swinging the trip lever to release the locking lever.

8. In combination with the-bunk having at one end thereof a fixed stake,of a movable stake at the opposite end, said stake having a lateral'inwardly extending lug, a pivotal connection between the lu at the endremote from the stake and t e bunk for permitting the said stake toswing downward by gravity, said `lug being notched below the pivotalconnection to form a sto approximately perpendicular to the pivotalconnection, a locking `lever com rising a lon ai'm and a short armpivote adjacent to t e stop, the short arm extending toward the stop andbein ada ted to engage the same to hold the ever in u right position,said lever'havin a cam suriiiice for engagement b the sai short arm ofthe lever to press t e said short end downwardly when the stake is swungto upright position, and means operable from the opposite end of thebunk for releasin the lookin lever.

4. 'In combination with the unk having at one end thereof a fixed stake,of a movable stake at the opposite end, said stake having a lateralinwardly extending lug, a pivotal connection between the lu at the endremote from the stake and te bunk for permitting the said stake to swingdownward by gravity, said lug being notched below the pivotal connectionto form a stop approximately perpendicular to the pivotal connection, alocking lever comprising a long arm and a short arm pivoted adjacent tothe stop, the short arm extending toward the sto and being adapted toengage the same to lio d the lever in upright position, and meansoperable from the o posite side of the car for releasing the loeliinglever.

5. In combination with the bunk having at one end a fixed stake, of amovable stake at the opposite end of the blink, said stake having acent-ral inwardly extending lug and a pivotal connection between the lugand the bunk for permitting the stake to swing downward b gravity,normally active means for holding the stake in upright position, andmeans operable from the opposite side of the car for engmg andpositively releasing the said hol g means.

6. In combination with the bunk, of a. movable stake pivoted to one endthereof, 5 the pivotal connection being lateral to the stake to permitthe stake to swing downwardly by gravity, normally active means forholding the stake in uprightposition, and means for engaging andpositively releasi the holdin means.

ENJAMI THOMAS HARROP. Witnesses:

T. I. JORDAN, J. MnNsoH.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for tvo cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patente, Washington, D.

